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Re: Thought experiment: How would battle wizards function in a fantasy war?

Originally Posted by Easy E

Well, we can look to History since many armies had wizards... well at least Priests with them, which they often though of as wizards. Typically, they were part of the pre and post-battle process more than the actual fighting and they took on more of a Morale/Psy-ops role.

This will lead me to do a lot more research into the arcane in ancient battle.

I disagree. The wizards of old were the technology experts - the men who knew how to build siege engines, undermine walls and operate artillery.

Gunpowder brought big time magic to the world. Those who could make it and use it had magical power over everyone else. Every culture that encountered gunpowder for the first time assumed it was some sort of numinous power.

One could argue that metallurgy was also a form of magic. You want a sword that never breaks? Well, first you need to make it from a substance direct from the gods (meteorite iron) and then a master smith who can shape it, including inscribing runes of power and victory. Only then can it be anointed by the holy men.

If you go back into the early days of gunpowder, siege artillery was a contract business and those who had the special knowledge to make the bombards and basilisks work were highly prized. The walls of Constantinople weren't shattered by conscripts or some sort of royal artillery corps, but by independent contractors with specialized knowledge.

So if you want to follow history a bit differently, the wizards might be an independent guild, who use the royal houses for their own ends. If a king kills one in a fit of spite, no other wizards will work for him, so they wield great power.

Alternatively, there could be multiple guilds who use the kingdoms to settle scores.

Again, the first question is what can magic actually do and how many people can use it.